The Best Natural Methods To Cure

Cramp Bark Health Benefits – What is Cramp Bark Good For

How to Use Cramp Bark As a Home Remedy To Cure Diseases

Cramp bark or Viburnum opulis is a deciduous shrub that grows in North America, northern Asia and Europe. Often used as ornamental shrubbery, the beautiful shrub has significant medicinal values. Historically, Native Americans used it for reducing swollen glands, treating fluid retention, mumps, and eyesores and smoked it as well. The bark and root of the plant contains antispasmodic volatile oils that are used to make modern day medicines. It is filled with hydroquinones including arbutin, methylarbutin, free hydroquinone; coumarins including scopoletin and scopoline; and tannins.

Justifying its name the cramp bark is useful in easing cramps including muscle spasms, menstrual cramps and cramps during pregnancy. Unlike anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic drugs it has no side effects.

Healing/Medicinal Uses

Menstrual Pain: It works rapidly for simple menstrual pains. You can steep two tablespoons of dried bark in one cup of boiling water. Sieve and drink the mixture three times a day to calm spasms in the uterus during menstruation.

Uterine Decongestant: Signs of uterine congestion include bloating, cramps before menstruation as well as delayed menses. Uterine congestion is also associated with fibroids, endometriosis and ovarian cysts. Cramp bark is considered a uterine decongestant. It works by healing uterine pain and inflammation.

Pregnancy Health: It is effective in halting contractions during premature labor. Cramp bark is used to build uterine muscles in the last trimester of pregnancy. It also helps ensure an easy labor. It is valued agent in preventing threatened abortions.

Urinary pain: It is used as a kidney stimulant in urinary conditions involving pain or spasms. It also reduces the urgent frequency of urination.

Spasmodic coughing: Cramp bark can relieve the muscle spasm causing this type of cough which often interferes with you sleep and burns the throat.

It is used as a diuretic, emetic, purgative and sedative.

The antispasmodic constituents in cramp bark helps to lower blood pressure by relaxing the vessel walls.

Some people use it for treating nervous disorders, hysteria, scurvy, infection and cancer.

It has been useful in carpal tunnel syndrome.

When taken in large doses it may reduce leg cramps, muscle spasms or pain from a stiff neck.

Cramp Bark Preparations and Dosage

The bark is peeled from the root and dried for decoction or made into glycerin or alcohol tincture. A typical dosage of the tincture is 30 to 60 drops an hour for acute muscular spasm. For dysmennohrea cramp bark works best when taken frequently. 3-200mg tablets are also available that can be taken thrice a day. It should not be taken with blood thinning agents because of the coumarin constituent of the plant which causes hypotension in large doses. During pregnancy it should be used only under the guidance of a qualified health care professional.

Cramp Bark Side Effects

It is harmless in regular doses. However, large doses like 60 drops or more taken hourly may result in nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. People sensitive to aspirin are usually sensitive to cramp bark.